Washington · WA
Washington Real Estate License Checklist (2026)
Every step, fee, and deadline on one page — designed to print cleanly to PDF and check off as you go.
Before you start
- You are at least 18 years old
- You hold a high school diploma or GED
- You can pass a criminal background check / fingerprinting
Education
Washington is a broker-entry state: the entry-level license is called 'broker' (what most states call a salesperson or agent). You need 90 hours of pre-license education — a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course plus a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course — and must take the exam within 2 years of completing the courses.
- Confirm you're at least 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent (Washington requires it)
- Complete the 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course from an approved school
- Complete the 30-hour Real Estate Practices course to reach the 90-hour total
- Have your school submit completion records to PSI (can take up to 7 days), then register your PSI account from the emailed link
- Pass both the national and state exam portions within 2 years of finishing your education
Application & exam
- Pass both exams, then submit fingerprints through IdentoGO (about $45 for the WSP + FBI background check). You must pass the exam BEFORE fingerprinting — doing steps out of order causes delays. Results can take up to 14 business days and are valid for 6 years
- Wait for DOL's email (within about 72 hours of passing) directing you to the online application via your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account
- Pay the $233 original license fee (includes a mandatory $20 research fee). Online applications process fastest
- You do NOT need a firm to apply: your license is issued in INACTIVE status. It activates instantly when a real estate firm sends you an online request to join and you accept it — no fee to activate or transfer
- Apply within 1 year of passing your final exam, or you'll need to retest
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 90-hour pre-license education (Fundamentals + Practices) | $250 – $700 | |
| PSI exam fee (both portions) | $210 per attempt | |
| Fingerprinting (IdentoGO) | ~$45 | |
| Original license fee (includes $20 research fee) | $233 | |
| Estimated total | $800 – $1,350 |
Key deadlines
- You need 90 hours of pre-license education — a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course plus a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course — and must take the exam within 2 years of completing the courses.
- 2-year renewal cycle; $233 renewal fee.
- Every renewal after that is 30 hours of CE including the 3-hour Core course.
- Have your school submit completion records to PSI (can take up to 7 days), then register your PSI account from the emailed link
- Pass both the national and state exam portions within 2 years of finishing your education
- You must pass the exam BEFORE fingerprinting — doing steps out of order causes delays.
- Results can take up to 14 business days and are valid for 6 years
- Wait for DOL's email (within about 72 hours of passing) directing you to the online application via your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account